Exeter Chiefs secured their first victory of the Premiership Rugby season with a narrow win over Newcastle Falcons on Saturday at Sandy Park. Despite the positive result, concerns linger over sparse attendance, with just 7,071 spectators present—significantly fewer than the crowd for Exeter’s season opener against Gloucester.

The Chiefs held off a resilient Newcastle side, who had not won an away match in four years and remain winless since last May’s victory over Sale Sharks. Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, acknowledged the team’s uneven performance but highlighted their defensive resolve in the closing stages of the game. “The game did have jeopardy until the final whistle, so we’ve ticked that box,” Baxter said.

The match featured several notable moments, including a milestone for Newcastle wing Christian Wade, who scored a hat-trick to reach 100 Premiership tries. Newcastle also secured two bonus points—one for scoring four tries and another for losing by fewer than seven points—keeping them above Harlequins in the league standings.

The contest began fiercely, with Exeter’s Ross Vincent opening the scoring within the first minute after charging down a kick from Newcastle’s Zack Henry. Henry responded by setting up a try for Wade. Both sides exchanged scores throughout an entertaining first half that totaled 40 points by the break. Exeter’s Max Hicks, a recent signing from Perpignan, also crossed for a try following fluid interplay involving his teammates Sammy Arnold and Alex Hearle.

Injuries impacted the Chiefs, with winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso leaving the field in the second half due to a hamstring issue. Baxter described the injury as a concern but not deemed serious at this stage, noting it would be scanned for further assessment.

The young Scottish fly-half Jake Dalziel made his Premiership debut for Newcastle, becoming the youngest player to appear for the club at 18 years and 54 days. Dalziel impressed with his composure and vision, assisting Wade’s second try shortly after coming on.

Exeter’s halftime talk focused on improving defensive intensity and urgency, which led to increased commitment after the break. Sam Harris extended Exeter’s lead early in the second half with a try on the left wing. Although a further Exeter try was ruled out for a forward pass, points from the boot of England centre Stephen Varney and a late score from Georgian prop Bachuki Tchumbadze helped the Chiefs maintain their lead.

Newcastle fought hard to equalize late in the match but were unable to break through Exeter’s defence. Fly-half Harvey Skinner’s crucial turnover around midfield underscored the Chiefs’ defensive grit in the final moments.

Despite the victory, Baxter expressed concern over the sparse crowd at a venue with a capacity of 15,000, noting that ticket prices—previously among the highest in the league—may have contributed to lower attendance. The club has since reduced prices for upcoming matches in an effort to boost fan turnout.

Exeter now heads into a Champions Cup break with renewed confidence, facing a challenging fixture next week against Toulouse. Newcastle, having shown marked improvement but still lacking wins in the current season, will look to build on the bonus points earned in this closely contested encounter.